Early-bird shoppers get a jump

Wednesday

Nov 21, 2012 at 6:00 AMNov 21, 2012 at 9:11 PM

By Linda Bock TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Angela Salerno already has a good start on her Christmas shopping this year, and as a regular Black Friday shopper she also plans to be in line at the Walmart in Auburn on Thanksgiving night to get the rest of her shopping done when early-bird stores open.

“I go with my mother-in-law every year,” Ms. Salerno, of Auburn, said. She said the pair will hit the Auburn Walmart and then Sears in the Auburn Mall. Ms. Salerno picked up a few pre-Black Friday specials at Target at The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley in Millbury on Tuesday with her 11-month-old in tow. On Friday morning, she plans to be shopping for only a few hours. “But my mother-in-law will be out all night long” and probably all day Friday into Friday night, she said, smiling.

The world is divided into people who shop on Black Friday and those who don't.

According to CreditDonkey.com, a credit card comparison and financial education website, an October survey found that 41 percent of U.S. consumers planned to shop on Black Friday this year.

“I waited in line and waited in line (at Toys “R” Us) last year, about four hours,” said Michelle Talbot of Leicester. “Then I gave up.”

Ms. Talbot spends Tuesdays with her mom, Sharon Dicentes, also of Leicester. The pair shopped at The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley in Millbury on Tuesday, and then loaded gifts into her vehicle.

“Just gift cards,” Ms. Talbot said. “I'm done.”

Her mom said she was done Christmas shopping in July.

The pre-deals at Target Ms. Salerno snagged were only one example of how fiercely retailers plan to compete for every dollar this shopping season.

For days now, retailers, stores of all sizes and online shopping sites, have been casting bait in an attempt to reel customers into spending by putting coupons in newspapers and mailboxes, as well as flooding emails with pre-holiday and Black Friday specials. For example, retailer Ann Taylor shot out emails to its customers early Tuesday announcing, “Black Friday Starts Now!” with their specials listed. Sears began offering Cyber Monday specials to their credit card customers on Sept. 24.

Though stores have been decorated since Halloween and holiday ads have been nonstop for weeks, the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season is Black Friday, and despite commercials on various radio stations heard in Central Massachusetts, stores in this state will not open until after midnight. The commercials for big national retailers can be a bit confusing for people here in Central Massachusetts because for the first time ever, some of the biggest retailers in some states plan to open on Thanksgiving.

Solomon Pond Mall and Auburn Mall will open their doors at 12:30 a.m., and Greendale Mall will open at 5:30 a.m. to launch the holiday shopping season. The opening time seems to creep up earlier and earlier for most stores, though it's up to individual stores to set opening times. Most Simon malls opened at 4 a.m. last year on Black Friday.

Analysts will be watching to see when and where shoppers spend.

Serious Central Massachusetts early-bird Black Friday shoppers should double-check what times their favorite stores plan to open this year because many are opening earlier than last year, or are in a mall with different start times.

At Northborough Crossing in Northboro, Ulta Beauty Supply will open at midnight, but the Kohl's and Toys “R” Us will open at 1 a.m., according to the shopping center's Facebook page. Black Friday shoppers headed there should brew their coffee at home because the new IHOP will not open until 4:30 a.m. and Starbucks at 5:30 a.m.

According to CreditDonkey.com's survey, 57 percent said they would shop on Cyber Monday. In addition, most respondents said they planned to spend less this year on Black Friday than they had in 2011, while a majority of Cyber Monday shoppers planned to spend more than they did a year earlier.

“I'm more of a Cyber Monday shopper,” said Kate Simpson of Brookfield. “I actually have a shopping cart (online) on Toys 'R' Us waiting for Monday.”

Ms. Simpson, who was shopping with her sister-in-law Jessica St. Germaine of Needham, said she plans to compare Black Friday and Cyber Monday prices and deals before making her purchases.

Kim Schena of Worcester said her family actually plans on cutting back on gift-giving a little this year.

“We drew names,” Ms. Schena said. She and her husband plan to spend one weekday shopping in December to knock off their Christmas list.